BTV Empresses in the Palace
Created by Zheng Xiaolong · 2011 ·
Empresses in the Palace (2011) earns a 85% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended overall. Created by Zheng Xiaolong; stream on TVING, Prime Video, U-NEXT.
Calculated from four inputs (Celluloid editorial, Metascore, IMDb and TMDB fan rating). Audience sentiment is shown separately. See how we calculate scores.
Four-input score + separate audience snapshot
Where to watch Empresses in the Palace
Streaming availability varies by region — TVING in South Korea; Prime Video, U-NEXT in Japan. Primary catalog tag: Viki.
Where to watch Empresses in the Palace by country
| Country | Streaming on |
|---|---|
| Japan | Prime Video, U-NEXT |
| South Korea | TVING |
Subscription availability, refreshed from TMDB. Rental and purchase options may differ.
Streaming availability, artwork and title metadata courtesy of TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
Is Empresses in the Palace worth watching?
Yes — Empresses in the Palace earns a 85% Celluloid Score. Recommended, created by Zheng Xiaolong and streaming on TVING, Prime Video, U-NEXT.
Celluloid Verdict
The definitive Chinese palace drama — epic, intricate and unsparing, its portrait of a woman's transformation under court intrigue remains a genre-defining benchmark.
Celluloid editorial verdict
What is Empresses in the Palace about?
A naive young noblewoman enters the Qing emperor's harem and, over years of betrayal and loss, hardens into its most formidable operator — a sweeping, richly detailed palace epic considered a landmark of the genre and a touchstone of modern Chinese television.
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Critic Reviews
Empresses in the Palace Review: The Definitive Palace Drama
★★★★½
China's Empresses in the Palace charts a naive noblewoman's transformation into the Qing court's most formidable operator across years of betrayal — a sweeping, richly detailed epic considered a landmark of the palace-drama genre.
An epic, intricately woven court saga that set the standard for the genre — unsparing about power and superbly acted. A touchstone of modern Chinese TV.
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Most searched questions about Empresses in the Palace
High-intent answers for seasons, streaming, cast, and whether Empresses in the Palace is worth watching — built for search and AI overviews.
Yes — Empresses in the Palace scores 87% on Celluloid. The definitive Chinese palace drama — epic, intricate and unsparing, its portrait of a woman's transformation under court intrigue remains a genre-defining benchmark. Stream on Viki.
Empresses in the Palace has 1 season and 76 episodes (2011). It is currently marked ended on Celluloid.
Empresses in the Palace is catalogued under Viki and commonly streams on Viki. Availability varies by country — open the platform app or the Celluloid series page for regional notes.
Empresses in the Palace stars Sun Li, Chen Jianbin, Ada Choi, Jiang Xin. Created by Zheng Xiaolong.
Yes — Empresses in the Palace has ended (2011). You can watch the complete 1-season run without waiting on renewals.
Empresses in the Palace is primarily in Mandarin (China). Subtitles/dubs depend on your streaming platform.
About 57 hours at ~45 minutes per episode across 76 episodes — a focused weekend binge for many viewers.
Empresses in the Palace scores 85% from four inputs: Celluloid editorial 88/100, Metacritic 78/100, IMDb 8.3/10 and TMDB fan rating 92%. The separate audience snapshot is 92%. The definitive Chinese palace drama — epic, intricate and unsparing, its portrait of a woman's transformation under court intrigue remains a genre-defining benchmark. See the full breakdown on the Empresses in the Palace series page.
No — Empresses in the Palace is not on Netflix. It streams on Viki, and on Celluloid it is catalogued under Viki. Streaming rights rotate by country, so confirm in your region before subscribing.
Yes — Empresses in the Palace is available on Viki in many regions (catalogued under Viki on Celluloid). Rights differ by country; confirm in the Viki app or the where-to-watch notes.
Empresses in the Palace first aired in 2011 (2011). Created by Zheng Xiaolong; it streams on Viki today.
Empresses in the Palace stars Sun Li, Chen Jianbin, Ada Choi, Jiang Xin. Created by Zheng Xiaolong.